``Nuclear families are not suitable for raising children,'' researchers who analyzed hunter-gatherer societies claim

In urban areas of Japan and many Western societies, there are many nuclear families consisting only of husband and wife or parents and children. However, evolutionary anthropologists at the University of Cambridge have revealed through research that even today, infants in hunter-gatherer societies are raised by more than 10 caregivers, not just their parents. 'Because they lived as hunter-gatherers, they may have been psychologically hardwired to grow up under the watchful eye of many people.'

Sensitive Responsiveness and Multiple Caregiving Networks Among Mbendjele BaYaka Hunter-Gatherers: Potential Implications for Psychological Development and Well-Being

https://phys.org/news/2023-11-hunter-gatherer-approach-childcare-key-mother.html

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Nikhil Chaudhary, a specialist in evolutionary anthropology at the Department of Archeology at the University of Cambridge, and his colleagues presented the results of their research and analysis of the culture of the Mbendele tribe, a hunter-gatherer group living in the Republic of Congo. 'Humans have lived as hunter-gatherers for most of our evolutionary history, so studying modern hunter-gatherers can help us understand how children may be psychologically adapted to parenting,' Chaudhary said. It is thought that it is possible to gain insight into the

The investigation found that Mbenjele infants receive close attention and physical contact from up to 15 different caregivers for about nine hours a day. Because of the large number of advocates, 50% of cases when a child started crying were dealt with within 10 seconds, and less than 10% of cases were delayed for more than 25 seconds. In addition, infants spent an average of only 14.7 minutes in a 12-hour day in a lonely situation where there was no one within 3 meters of the infant and they could not make eye contact; It is analyzed that it was in a state where it was placed.

A style in which multiple caregivers other than the mother are actively involved in child-rearing is called `` aromothering '' in zoology, and is thought to be highly likely to lead to healthy psychological development in infants and young children. Ta. However, most of the research on human child rearing has been conducted on Western society and Western people, so aroma mothering often ended with negative conclusions. However, based on his research and analysis of the Mbenjere people, Chaudhary says, ``It is thought that our ancestors also practiced aromathering, which is practiced by hunter-gatherers, so that children are not only affected by their biological parents. 'They may be 'evolutionarily primed' to be collectively cared for by multiple defenders.'

Furthermore, similar child-rearing styles are common not only among the Mbengere people, but also among hunter-gatherer societies in various regions, such as the Pygmies of Central Africa, the Bushmen of Botswana, the Hadua people of Tanzania, and the Yanomami people of Brazil. Past studies have shown that infants are cared for by someone other than their mother for more than half of the day, and that infants gather at relatives' homes when their mothers are away hunting, leading to collective parenting.

According to Chaudhary, because mothers often give birth to children in their prime working years, groups that release mothers from child-rearing duties to some extent are more productive than groups that leave most of the child-rearing to mothers. thing. Some research has shown that the traditional division of roles in which men are in charge of hunting and women are in charge of gathering is a misconception, and aroma mothering in hunter-gatherer societies is a way for young women to play an active role in activities other than raising children. It is thought that they are creating a good child-rearing environment.

Research results show that in hunter-gatherer societies around the world, women also participate in hunting, and there is not a clear division of labor between ``men hunting and women gathering'' - GIGAZINE

Research among hunter-gatherers has shown that childcare is increasingly a policy priority, and governments are seeking to ensure the welfare of mothers and children by ``increasing the ratio of childcare workers to children in nurseries and facilities.'' Chaudhary points out that more needs to be done. On the other hand, many aspects of psychological evolution have evolved in lifestyles that are more ``flexibly adaptive'' than ``optimal,'' leading to the conclusion that ``aromathering is the optimal method of child-rearing.'' You have to be careful about jumping in,” Chaudhary said.

Annie Swanepoel, a child psychiatrist who helped analyze the research, said: 'Support for mothers reduces the risk of neglect and abuse, alleviates family hardship, improves maternal well-being and It also has many benefits for children, including strengthening maternal care.' The researchers argue that at no time in human history have parents been under pressure in terms of lack of support for raising children, and that ``the nuclear family system is similar to the communal living arrangements of hunter-gatherer societies such as the Mbengere.'' It feels like we are worlds apart,'' he said, re-emphasizing the need for collective care.